Large fire breaks out at Oncor electrical substation in Dallas

What happened

Dallas Fire-Rescue units were dispatched shortly after midnight to an Oncor electrical substation on Sargent Road in the Cedar Crest area of Dallas following reports of a fire. Arriving crews found a large volume of fire and heavy black smoke visible across parts of the city. Because the fire involved energised electrical equipment, incident command worked with Oncor to have the substation de-energised so that suppression operations could safely proceed.

An Airport Rescue Firefighting unit was called in to apply specialised foam to the blaze, supported by a hazardous materials team. The fire was largely extinguished by early morning, with crews remaining on site to cool debris. No customers lost power as a result of the incident, and no injuries were reported. The cause remains under investigation.

Contributing factors

Not reported; the cause of the fire is stated by fire officials to be under investigation.

Lessons learned

1. Substation fires on energised equipment need prior de-energisation, so operators must maintain joint protocols with fire services for quick isolation.
2. Large substation fires may need airport foam units, so operators should pre-arrange access to specialised foam beyond airport sites.
3. Substation fires near homes produce smoke and runoff, so plans must include prompt hazardous materials support.

More lessons on fire suppression and firefighting, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

• Exact equipment that caught fire
• Age and model of substation assets
• Cost of repairs and cleanup

This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.

Source

fox4news.com